Family and Friends,
This is our last post of the year because as you know, we’re heading home to the States for a few weeks! We’re super jacked about it and looking forward to introducing our sweet Arden to you all. We know what you’re all wondering… “but what about your year-in-review letter”?! [smirk] Don’t you worry your little bippy… it’ll be our first post of 2023. In the meantime, you can read about our holiday celebrations here in the Philippines… by the time you do that, hopefully we’ll be sipping a whiskey slush or a whiskey sour old fashioned with you by the fire.
While our house has been decked out in holiday decor for quite some time, we started celebrating the season with others on the first of December. Our first celebration was hosting part of Travis’s leadership team for dinner and drinks. Everyone came over after a day at work and enjoyed chit chatting in the living room over drinks, listening to Merrick’s “I’m going to pretend I understand what you’re all talking about” cackle, being swooned by Arden’s incredibly cute toothless grins, and taking 1,435 photos of our puppers in their Christmas attire. The biggest hit of the night was probably Bungalow Cafe’s pecan walnut pie… which happened to be multiple people’s favorite kind of pie. Nailed it! Travis said a lovely, heartfelt speech thanking the team for a great year. It was a wonderful evening together. We’ll host the other half of his team in the new year.
Over the weekend, we did our family “Christmas morning” with the boys and with our staff. In matching jammies, we all opened gifts together over coffee. We had the best time watching Merrick open his gifts this year. He was a hoot, getting so excited with each one… copious “woooooooow”s. Arden thoroughly enjoyed the patterns and crinkling of the colorful wrapping paper. Merrick’s favorite gift this year was his tool box and tools, equipped with a functioning cordless drill or as he likes to call it, his “driller”. He [and Daddy] loved his gift from Tita Charity as well… his first remote control vehicle, an orange monster truck. He and Daddy spent the rest of the morning driving it until the batteries needed a recharge. Lots of fun all around.
To round out the holiday celebrations, we hosted our PH friends for our Annual Ugly Christmas Sweater Party on the 10th. We started hosting this annual event back in Wichita, Kansas but we’ve been on hiatus since moving abroad in 2018. Happy to report… WE’RE BACK BABY! The evening was filled with delicious food, a lot of whiskey slush, the dress-up game, belly laughs, and a handful of hours of great conversation. We missed you, Caro! Shout out to Carlos, who is this year’s dress-up game champion! He narrowly missed a last minute steal by Sophie for the win.
In the last few weeks, we’ve had some boughts of sickness in the house… thankfully not COVID but rather a cold that continues to linger for all four of us. We have done multiple night time golf cart rides to see the lights throughout the village. Merrick had a blast at a trampoline park and is already asking to go back. Merrick’s school is decorated for the holiday and his eyes light up every single time we walk in and he sees the Christmas tree. “Look Mama! Looooook!” Our newly minted 5-month-old is giggling up a storm and it’s a dopamine hit every time. Daddy is in the holiday spirit and ready for vacation. Mama finally started her right arm sleeve (her “push present”) and has finished two of the four sessions needed for completion. Lots to go yet but she’s loving it so far.
Happy holidays, Everyone! See you on the flip side!
All our love,
xo Team Jansen
Team Jansen Abroad 